Rating: 
Summary: thought-provoking
Review: (Review of the book, spoilers inside)
"Waiting" tells a story about a doctor, Lin Kong, who was well-read, decent, and kind-hearted, but had some serious short-comings that had caused misery and trouble for himself, his lover, and his family. He didn't love his wife Shuyu (an arranged marriage) because she was not attractive, and she couldn't read. As a result, he felt ashamed to let Shuyu visit him in the city where he worked. So for many years while this marriage continued, he only went home to visit his family in the village for 10 days a year. He had one daughter with Shuyu. And he never made love to her after their daughter was born. Shuyu, though illiterate, was a loyal and dependable wife. She took good care of Lin's parents until they passed away, and she brought up Lin's daughter all on her own (with Lin's salary he sent home). She always thought that Lin and her would be husband and wife for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, Manna, a colleague of Lin, found him attractive and pursued him. He was happy to have woman who had education and who looked good, so he accepted Manna, and started a romantic relationship. However, due to the pressure of the society and the Party, he couldn't have an intimate relationship with Manna while he was still married to Shuyu. An official who was on friendly terms with Lin cautioned him not to get "physical" with Manna, or punishment would fall upon them (being kicked out of the Party and demobilized and sent to the countryside). Manna loved Lin dearly (although she had her own agenda at times and had never trusted Lin in revealing her finance), and pressured Lin to divorce Shuyu so that the two of them could be together lawfully. However, Lin was not a brave or resolute man. He was so soft-hearted that he never successfully divorced Shuyu for 18 years (Shuyu's brother also caused a lot of obstacles). While Manna was waiting for the divorce to come through, they also tried to get Manna a boyfriend in another city, who wouldn't know of their relationship (many coworkers assumed they had physical relasionship and shunned away from Manna as a suitable girlfriend, as brides' virginity was the most important thing to the grooms those days). They tried a couple of times. The first time, Manna didn't like the man; the second time, a prominent official was looking for a second wife, but turned down Manna replying that Manna was not good enough, which made Manna an instant laughing stock, bringing her much humiliation. A traumatic incident happened to them shortly after Manna was rejected by the official. Lin made friends with a vulgar, rude and merciless army officer, while they were both recovering from TB in the same hospital room. Lin told him everything about his dilemma (not able to marry Manna and not able to leave Shuyu), and revealed that Manna was still a virgin. Little did he know that when he left for a few months for some meeting in another city, this cruel beast planned and executed a rape of Manna, which aged her tremendously and brought down both her physical and mental health. The rape rumor spread all over the hospital, which made both Manna and Lin laughing stocks, as in those days (even today), many Chinese people assumed that it was the fault of the victim that she was raped, and would treat her as a slut. As years passed by, Lin would go home for 10 days to carry out his divorce, yet failed year after year. After 18 years had passed, according to some army rule, an army officer was allowed to divorce the spouse without her consent, Lin finally became free. He was a kind man in nature, so he helped Shuyu and their daughter to stay in the city and live a much better life. And he managed to sell his country home to obtain enough money for his wedding with Manna. However, he soon found that after 18 years waiting and hardship, Manna was no longer the carefree, energetic and sweet girl he used to love and feel passionate about. Manna, now in her fourties, had become resentful, angry and bitter. They had twin boys not too long after their wedding, which was envied by many people, as boys were treasured by parents as they could contribute to the family more. However, Lin found himself lack of interest in being a parent, although he slowly became attached to them and loved them. Generally, he lacked any interest in being responsible to carry any burden of life. He would rather be taken care of by others than taking care of his wife and family, especially if the situations got tough. As Manna's health (already fragile after years' of hardship) deteriorated, he found himself more drawn to his former wife, Shuyu, who was always caring, peaceful and obedient. Although he never loved Shuyu, after so many years, he realized that he now only cared about comfort in life and peace of his mind, which he always had when he was with Shuyu. While Manna and Lin waited 18 long years to become husband and wife, Shuyu waited 18 years for Lin to accept her and appreciate her. Lin was the type of people who always wanted things he didn't have while never appreciated what he had until he lost them. What a sad person! Ha Jin did a great job in "Waiting" depicting the life of ordinary people in a society where other people's opinions ran the courses of your lives. There are also many elements of the book that are universal and representative of all cultures. I finished reading "Waiting" using two evenings. I find myself absorbed in the story and cannot put the book down. I find the depiction of Manna's rape especially horrific and unbearable, and I am heart-broken to be reminded by the author that most women in those days never reported their rape, and never found any support and proper care in the society. It is so sad to think of such injustice and contorted beliefs prevalent in the Chinese society. But I respect Ha Jin for his accurate and truthful depiction of the lives of Chinese people. We have to first acknowledge that there is something wrong with our society before we can correct it and make it better.
Rating:
Summary: Simplist beauty and grace. Awed by this writer
Review: This is a wonderful story. There are several currents in this story. Not the least of which is: how much of love stems from expectation, rather than true emotion? How much do we NEED to be in a relationship to validate ourselves? How do we know we LOVE someone rather than the IDEA of a relationship? It's quite a leap from typical love stories. I think the most valid love story in this tale is NOT the central relationship of the book. The protagonist's wife is the most geniunely loving person in the story. Her character is at first glance, only a caricature, then upon closer examination--very interesting. Just a very quiet story. Don't miss this.
Rating: 
Summary: A slice of Chinese life.
Review: This novel takes place in China during the Cultural Revolution and afterwards, but it is a social, not a political novel. Its protagonist is a military doctor assigned to a hospital in a small city, with a peasant wife living in a rural village, and a long standing relationship with a nurse at the hospital. The doctor entered his marriage out of respect for his parents who needed a daughter-in-law to help them, and he is not allowed to divorce for 18 years. Ha Jin tells a quiet, unadorned story, which is mostly interesting and occasionally dull. For the most part, the characters are colorless, perhaps reflective of their situation. The doctor is a well developed character, a moral, competent, yet passive human being. His wife is drawn broadly, but with sympathy and appreciation. The reason to read this book is to experience a slice of Chinese life of the period, a time and culture when a small degree of freedom and material comfort went a long way.
Rating: 
Summary: overrated
Review: I'm afraid that Mr. Ha Jin doesn't quite know how to write good English prose. The plot, although potentially delicious in a minimalist way (the book is quite literally about waiting) is underserved by his style. There are few authors who could write sparely and get away with it, e.g. Hemingway. Not Ha Jin, mainly because he just isn't that great, but also because he hasn't even nailed basic English language usage. On page 179 Ha misuses "bisexual" to mean "hermaphrodite"; on page 296 he forgets to translate the Chinese for "idiot" and leaves it in literal translation as "stupid egg". I don't really care about the exotic terrain: it isn't exotic enough to me (I'm from China and am quite familiar with life and culture under Chinese communism) to redeem the other, glaring flaws within this book. Perhaps after a few more English immersion courses Ha Jin will manage to write something that deserves the National Book Award. In the meantime don't bother reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Simply Stunning Novel
Review: Ha Jin has proven time and time again to be a master story-teller. Waiting may be his masterpiece. In elegant prose he tells a "grass is greener" tale of a married man who loves another woman. Every moment of the novel is a heart-wrenching joy to read as Lin Kong weighs the balance of what is right and what he wants. Soon the reader is waiting along with Lin Kong to see what the end result will be. This is an absolutely amazing novel that draws the reader in and should be on every reading list.
Rating:
Summary: waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
Review: This book demonstrates the culture, habits, and politics of communist China, and also, it is a love story. While reading, however, I found that army doctor Lin Kong remained remote and uninteresting, more an allegorical everyman rather than a fully developed character. Manna Wu, the nurse at his hospital with whom he's been having a secret relationship, has a little more personality but is still not all that likeable. Lin cannot get a divorce from his loveless, embarrassing (she has bound feet) arranged marriage without consent from his wife until 18 years have passed. He promises Manna that he will try, summer after summer when he goes home to his village, but he never succeeds. His repulsion for his wife increases, as does his secret ardor for Manna, but even early on the reader can sense that all is not what it appears to be, for rather than Manna Wu herself, Lin has fallen in love with the anticipatory, things-are-going-to-change nature of waiting. And also he loves the allure of what he cannot have, which seems to be the ironic political moral of Ha Jin's story. Because of the beautiful descriptions and the capsule of Chinese life that is experienced through the novel, I definitely recommend _Waiting_. However, I think it would help to go into the book knowing that it is a parable rather than a romance. I know it would have helped me.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: This title is perfect for this book, you are constantly waiting for something to happen!!
Rating:
Summary: Haunting, Throught Provoking, and Well Written
Review: Waiting, by Ha Jin, rested on my bookshelf for about 1 year before I got around to reading it. I suppose it did not hold the allure to 'read me now' when I first obtained it. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally picked it up. Waiting tells the story of a man torn between two women and two lives during the Cultural Revolution in China. I found the author to have tremendous insight into matters of the heart within the framework of Chinese culture. Lyrical prose, an interesting story and perspective, and incisive insight into the human heart all contribute to make this a great novel.
Rating: 
Summary: What is the big deal with this book?
Review: This was a book I hhad been wanting to read for a long time and finally managed to complete while waiting out the last days of my pregnancy. The title was also appropriate enough: Waiting. The story had potential and I stayed with it based on reviews and my own hope that it would turn and end up with a surprising end. I read and read and did enjoy the process but was disappointed with the final course.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic, tragic tale
Review: Perhaps a more descriptive title for this book would have been "Wanting." The main character, Lin Kong, only seems to covet a life that he doesn't have. It's a powerful and tragic story. What is all the more impressive about this tale is what's left unsaid by both the characters and the author, and yet, these omissions make the story all that much more compelling. Ha Jin completely drew me into the world of his characters, and more importantly, into his characters minds and hearts. Both of his leads, Lin Kong and Manna Wu, are perhaps not very likeable characters by virtue of their many, many flaws, and yet Ha Jin makes you care about them all the same. This was one of the best books I've read in a long time.
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